Monday, March 28, 2011

Defining The Family Vacation

I have very fond memories of going on vacation when I was young. We’d all pile into the station wagon. I thought I was so special because I got to ride in the way back with all the luggage. We’d color and do Mad Libs or word finds for a bit, maybe read a little. Before long it would be dark and all of us kids would drift off to sleep only to awake in the morning as we pulled into our destination. Then it was a fun filled week of swimming at the pool and playing at the beach. I thought I was in heaven.

Now that I have my own family, I want to create the same memories for my kids only I have learned it is not as easy as I remembered. Now that I am in the mom role, I have discovered that the term “family vacation” is an oxymoron.

I really need to come up with a new description for this journey that I am embarking on, because in no way, shape or form is it a vacation. It is more of a:

• Do all the laundry (this is the first half)

Clean the house: Dishes to be done.

Healthy, well-balanced lunch break

so you can pack 75% of what you own in the minivan

referee and entertain three kids for 10 hours in the car

Thank God the older two get their own seats. That does help.

arrive at a destination

where you continue to cook, clean, cater to, referee and entertain

then load back up

spend another 10 hour trip back

unload 75% of what you own

put it all away

do more laundry and cooking

then go back to work

I am exhausted just typing it. It is times like this I realize how insane my parents were. It takes every ounce of energy I have to wrangle my 3 + Pete out the door, I cannot begin to imagine doubling that.

4 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Sarah, love your blog. I remember vacations like that. In fact I am so grateful to my Dad for having me create a scrapbook of these trips. It was his sweet way of making sure I would have memories when I got older. All of my sisters did this as well and we love going back to look at them now. Childhood only comes once. Enjoy your vacation! Chris Thalgott

Enjoy the time with your little ones, Sarah. It's exhausting and never-ending work but those memories are forever. My grown children still love Fripp Island summer vacations. We've gone there for over 25 years..we're not quite sure! We will miss it this year because Reese is getting married in Telluride, Co. in June.Soak in the sun and the love! Sandy

I wrote this in the car on our trip so the work was really top of mind. I have to say, the kids are having a blast and it truly makes all the effort worth it. I wouldn't change it for anything. Well, maybe a little less rain if I could pick.

About Me

I am a typical Gen X working mom trying to be the best mother, wife, co-worker, daughter, sister, and friend that I can be. Saying no is a challenge so I take on more than I should. Making it all look easy is my quest. Sometimes I succeed and often I don't. I guess that's what makes me typical. I call this journey TryFection.